Figures on mine effect inaccurate: Hume Coal

By
DOMINIC GEIGER

April 9, 2014, 11 p.m.

The battle over a proposed Southern Highlands coalmine is escalating after the company accused an anti-mining action group of fudging its figures on a study into the mine's potential groundwater effects.

Next Tuesday, the Southern Highlands Coal Action Group (SHCAG) plans to release the study's findings at a public meeting in Moss Vale.

Mining company Hume Coal has gone on the offensive, and on Wednesday said initial information suggested SHCAG's findings into how groundwater would be affected by the mine were "completely inaccurate".

Hume Coal project director Greig Duncan said SHCAG had incorrectly based their water study on a large-scale, wide-panel longwall operation. Hume Coal plans to officially release its initial mine plan in late 2014.

"Our experts have advised that the predicted impacts on the region's groundwater would only be plausible assuming a large-scale longwall mining operation. This assumption is simply wrong and is not something being contemplated in our mine planning," Mr Duncan said.

However, SHCAG technical adviser Alan Lindsay said the company was afraid the upcoming meeting would further reduce community support for the project.

"I think it's clear ... they are concerned about the meeting and they are trying to warn people off before the presentation," he said.

Mr Lindsay said Hume Coal's statement couldn't be correct because the company had access only to a synopsis, and not to the full report.